Poulet aux Herbes Fines: a Recipe from the French Barnyard

Finding France on my Kitchen Wall: Recipes for a Pheasant, Duck & Guinea Hen.

While the French birds roost in the mimosa tree at the neighbor’s farm, I draw on a wealth of old recipes and classic French farmhouse cooking to prepare my favorite seasonal dishes for poultry, the basis of year-round French farm cooking. While duck and pintade (guinea hen) each have a different flavor profile from chicken, I find that most poultry will switch out for each other with a little gentle nudging. Duck, as a darker meat, can take more warming spices like quatre-épices (ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove), and pintade loves Armagnac with its prune, pear, and citrus undertones. This flavor pairing comes with time, and as you buy better products, you’ll discover that a farm-raised bird—raised outside on natural feed, on lots of bugs and grass, as well as grain—will taste more pronounced and need less seasoning.

Spring diet at Camont

In my own basse-cour, I discovered that all farmyard birds love what they eat: small green garlic and onion shoots, herbaceous parsley stems, pungent fresh thyme leaves, silvery sage, and resinous rosemary. This recipe, a poulet studded with a fresh herb preparation under the skin, is one of my favorite poultry dishes, adaptable to any bird, even rabbit. It highlights what is starting to sprout in my early spring potager. I serve with a green salad or a simple purée of vegetables; it makes a simple spring supper.

The full recipe in a PDF printable file is below for paid subscribers. Why not become one now?